South Kelsey (2a) Auxiliary Unit and Operational
Base.

Thank you for selecting information on the South Kelsey (2a) Auxiliary Unit and
their Operational Base in Lincolnshire. The info below has been supplied by our internal archive.

This page was last updated at 6:49am on 26/11/15

It may have also been known as Brigg patrol.

Research into this patrol and its training is ongoing. The information below is published from
various sources and is by no means conclusive. If information is not listed below
it does not necessarily mean the information is not out there but normally means CART researchers
have not found it yet.

If you have any information on this patrol or can help with research in this area please do
contact us.

The original Intelligence Officer was Captain Donald Hamilton-Hill who went on to join SOE (Special Operations
Executive). He was succeeded by Captain W M B Lamb and finally Major H L F Bucknall.
Hamilton-Hill's original Headquarters at Wellingore Hall was quickly requestioned by the RAF as was the second at
Blankney Hall. The third and final move was to Dalby Hall and just before
stand down, administration was moved to North Bar Within Beverley, Yorkshire.

The Area “North 1” Commander was Captain D S Parker.

South Kelsey was part of group 2 along with Grasby, Wold Newton, Ulceby, Hatcliffe and Thornton Curtis
Patrols.

Group commander of these Patrols was the same Captain D S Parker who was assisted by Lt S Frisk and Lt
Halmshaw.

Currently unknown.

Sergeant George Blackburn a blacksmith. He was previously leading Great Limber Patrol. Corporal J Markham
Private O Everatt
Private Horace ? Foston a dairy farmer
Private James A Constable

The OB was set within the Jarvis Plantation next to Caistor Canal. It was built by the Royal Engineers consisting of two chambers dug into the ground with an escape tunnel exiting in nearby woods.

Copyright Kate Nicol and licensed for reuse
under this Creative Commons Licence.

CopyrightKate
Nicoland licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Caistor canal
Looking West, Jarvis Plantation on the left and the former tow path (now a farm track) on the
right.

While training at Coleshill, James Constable remembered the
patrol taking part in an attack on an RAF camp. Managing to reach the officers mess at the heart of the camp they
threw in thunderflashes and watched with amusement from a safe distance as the offers scattered through doors and
windows.
The Patrol withdrew undetected.

Unknown but it is assumed they had access to the standard
weapons and equipment. James Constable recalled that some arms were returned to the regular services after the imminent threat of invasion had passed. He did however have to quietly dispose of some explosives and munitions that he still had after stand down.

James Constable was working at Moortown House Farm when he was approached in the farmyard by a Regular Officer who recruited him from the Home Guard into the Auxiliary Unit. He thought his name was recommended by Assistant Group Commander Lt. Ted Helmshaw, a local corn merchant, whom he knew.

Told to take his rifle and other arms home to practice shooting at crows he was spotted by a local policeman while cycling home. He was stopped, questioned and reported for being so heavily armed but never heard anything more on the matter.

James knew of some other Patrols in the area but not of their OB locations. Each Patrol was deliberately left in the dark about the precise locations of the others nearby.